Today was my lucky day; the day I actually had the opportunity to sit face to face with the one and only, Deirdrie LoVerso. I sat breathing deeply and feeling a bit anxious (not to mention, nervous!). I held a copy of the manuscript for her upcoming children’s book, The Untruth About the Tooth, in my hand. I was about 20 minutes early when I arrived at Starbucks inside of Barnes & Noble in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I didn’t expect Ms. LoVerso to show up as early as I did. I suspect most celebrities do not arrive early for anything; they’re always “fashionably late” or just on time, right?
I couldn’t contain my excitement, so I approached the cashier and requested another cappuccino. “Will that be all?” the perky Starbucks cashier asked. “Uhh, add to that a regular cup of coffee or better yet, Hazelnut with extra cream and sugar if you have it. Either one. I’m interviewing one of the authors listed on your website today and I read that is what she drinks.” “Oh, really? Who?” she asked. I proudly replied, “Deirdrie LoVerso, the author of Jade Made Me Do It! and Vowels: Long Sounds, Short Sounds.” “Well, can you get her to autograph my notebook for me? My name is Vanessa.” “Sure thing, Vanessa,” I assured her.
As I sat down, my eyes caught a glimpse of a confident-looking woman closing the door of a silver Cadillac Deville. I stared like a zombie as she walked towards the bookstore with a portfolio in her hand, wearing a black 3 quarter-length leather coat, spike heeled boots, celebrity-sized shades, big hair, and tailored-looking pants. As she entered the double doors, her air of confidence demanded the attention of her on-lookers. She smiled at an old lady and a young child who stood by the table of books before her. OMG! It was her! I gulped and stood up in awe and to make sure she knew I was her interviewer and not the old man in the suit at the next table.
She sat with me after a short, but nervous, introduction. I was amazed that she was so approachable. Ms. LoVerso assured me that I need not be nervous around her. And so, I began to relax and commence this long-awaited interview.
ROCK: Which school taught you how to write so well?
DL: I’m self-taught. I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. I do credit my elementary teachers though. I really paid attention in my English, language, and reading classes. It was then that I learned grammar, how to properly put sentences together, how to structure paragraphs, and the parts of a book.
ROCK: How do you come up with these extraordinary themes for your books?
DL: I usually suddenly get inspired or something that happens in real life will make me like think, ‘Umm, this is so interesting that I can write a book about it.’ On the other hand, I find myself sometimes just brainstorming to see how I can add some wicked twists and turns to an everyday event and give it a unique ending.
ROCK: Do you see yourself becoming the next big author and, if so, how do you plan to make that happen?
DL: I could become the next big author, but there isn’t any guarantee in this business. There is a lot of competition and it’s much easier for writers to get recognition with the advent of the Internet, a wide range of POD manufacturers, and having the ability for no-name writers to sell e-books through the Kindle, the Nook, and downloadable e-book apps.
ROCK: Who inspired you to become an author? Do you have a favorite writer that you look up to?
DL: I love to read but I don’t have one favorite author, per se. At one time I was surrounded by nothing but intellectuals. Therefore, I figured everyone wrote as well as I did. I do, however, recall having to dumb down my essays and reports in high school so that my teachers wouldn’t think I was plagiarizing anyone’s material. So, did my fellow classmates. That did happen sometimes since we were all very smart, quick-witted and creative. Having to downplay my abilities was frustrating. College was better though. There, the professors expect you to write like a professional. I always wrote songs, poems and stories but never contemplated writing for a living until 2007. I looked at writing as the least of my talents and didn’t feel writing was as exciting as singing, acting or modeling.
ROCK: What sets you apart from other writers?
DL: The funny thing about being an author is that there’s no such thing as “doing your best”. Ideas come to us all of the time. It is always possible to write a better book than your last. I do, nonetheless, incorporate humor, a moral lesson to learn, colorful pages, and educational pages into my children’s books. I come up with surprise endings as I never like my stories to be run-of-the-mill or predictable.
ROCK: Do you plan to delve into genres other than children’s literature?
DL: Absolutely. I have begun writing two mystery novels, a self-help book, and a fictional horror book. Some of them will be under my pseudonym.
ROCK: You definitely are a rare talent. Why did you decide to write, illustrate, edit, and publish your work?
DL: Thank you. I intended to edit and self-publish my works because I knew that would be easy for me. I learned to type in high school. And I made use of this skill on my own time as well as working in major corporations for over 17 years. So, I type very fast. I create all of my manuscripts in Microsoft Word wherewith I’m self-taught. I have long picked out grammatical, spelling and structural mistakes in newspapers, magazines and books. I’m pretty good at editing but I utilize the dictionary and other resources to check spelling and facts if I’m unsure of something. As far as illustrating, I never intended to illustrate any of my books. I have been forced into taking on that task because I haven’t had the luxury of connecting with diligent and honest artists. I like to be in control of my works and do not want a hired editor or publishing house to reconstruct my stories. That is why I choose to self-publish and to own my ISBN’s.
ROCK: Most of your fans discovered your books on Amazon.com, BN.com, CreateSpace.com and Lulu.com. But, how would a journalist, DJ, broadcasting network, book club, or promoter be able to contact you for interviews or bookings now that your fan base is growing?
DL: They can make their request by logging on to www.deirdrieloverso.com and click on the contact or e-mail form or they can connect with me through any of my other pages such as Facebook, Goodreads or even though my blogs on WordPress.com or Friendster.
ROCK: Tell us about your soon to be released storybook, The Untruth About the Tooth. I read the manuscript with my wife and daughter and we were laughing hysterically with the turn of every page. It kept us interested and on the edge of our seats.
DL: Wow, that’s great. I wrote the story in 2007 with my son as the main character. It’s fiction, of course, but I wanted to dedicate a book to him. I know the story is quite funny and the boys do some mischievous things to get what they want. But what this story actually teaches kids is what will really speak to the parents who want their children to learn the value of being honest and obeying their parents. Many children will be able to relate to the main characters in The Untruth About the Tooth, I believe. I’ve gotten really positive feedback from children and adults alike who reviewed it.
ROCK: Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am deeply honored and hope to meet with you again in the future.
DL: It is my pleasure, Rock. Thank you for being such a dedicated fan.
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